Tube sign



Sept. .13, 1938. E. R. NICKEL- 2,129,780

TUBE (SIG-N Filed June 6, 1938 7 INVENTOR.

9 [2445? A Wmmz S BY I ct." I 5 MM Q 8 ATTORNEY v Patented Sept. 13,1938 UlTED STATES 8 Claims. (Cl. 40-1130) This invention relates toimprovements in electric signs of the neon or other tube type.

The principal object of my invention is to I provide a maskingarrangement for these signs whereby the sign message may be displayedwith all of the brilliance of the light source as afforded by the tubeswithout'being required to form or shape the tubes into the symbols orcharacters of the display.

I m In carrying out the objects of my invention,

I mask the display sections of the tubes throughout the length thereofby means of sleeves fash ioned to fit about and enclose the tubes andprovided with the requisite light emitting openings or areas to depictthe message or legend to be displayed and illuminated by the tubes.

In accordance, with my invention, the light emitting areas of themasking sleeves may be cut-out openings in the sleeves, which openingsmay be either in the form of individual characters or symbols so thateach tube may display a complete or a part of the sign message or saidopenings may be in the form of elements of a single character or symbolso that the latter 26 may have a size commensurate with the whole groupof the tubes employed for the display.

A further object of my invention is to make the masking sleevesresilient, that is, make the sleeves of resilient material and have them30 slotted longitudinally so that they be readily and easily applied toand removed from the tube sections in assemblyingand changing the signand yieldably engage about the tubes when encircling the same.

35 When the masking sleeves are employed to provide a character orsymbol larger, than the diameter of a single tube, I arrange the tubesections in parallel relation and have them suinciently close togetherto give more or less con- 40 tinuity to the symbolas displayed by thecutout openings or other light emittingareas in the sleeves.

Also, in conjunction with the foregoing, I make the openings or areassymmetrical and more 4.5 or less uniform in size and shape to provide bytheir're'gistration or alinement the full character to be displayed. Themasking sleeves, except for the 'light'emitting areas, may be opaque ifit is intended to i so block-out all passage of light fromthe tubes'other than atthe light emitting areas. These sleeves could be made oftranslucent material in which case the material, selected for thesleeves would be such as to preserve the demarcation required at thelight emitting areas,

As disclosed herein, the masking sleeves are designed for use in signstructures in which the electrically generated light source embodies anelongated translucent tube with the terminals for the electrical energyat the opposite ends 5 of the tube or oppositely disposed with respectto the display section which is enclosed by the masking sleeve.

The invention consists further in the features hereinafter described andclaimed. 10

In the accompanying drawing-- Fig. 1 is a face view of a sign constructin accordance with my invention, the masking sleeves each bearing a partof the message to be displayed by the sign; 16

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 2a. is a perspective view of one of the sleeves to show the slottedconstruction;

Fig. 3 is a face view of a sign in which the 20 masking sleeves providea character larger than the diameter of an individual tube; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig.3.

The sign in Fig. 1 comprises a neon or other luminescent gas filleddischarge tube mounted on a suitable support 2. The tube I is formed orshaped to provide a number of substantially parallel display sections 3,3 between the electrode ends 4, 4 which are at the opposite ends of thetubing. In the embodiment shown, the

tube sections 3, 3 are disposed in front of the support 2 and thelatter-isprovided with openings 5, 5 to receive the electrode ends 4 ofthe tube. The sections 3 in the particular sign shown in Fig. 1 are inthe same general plane and are connected in alternation by the loops 6.in tubing.

In Fig. 1 the masking sleeves are marked 1, 1.. These sleeves are madeof desired material and of a diameter to closely fit about the tube sec-40 tion 3 with respect to which the sleeve is applied.

In Fig. 1, each sleeve 1 carries a portion of the "complete message tobe displayed by the sign.

This is brought about by providing each sleeve 7 with cut-out. openingsor other light emittingareas inthe shape of the individual characters orsymbols constituting. the part of the message which the sleeve displays.In the drawing, the light emitting areas are in stencil form as shown at8, 8. If the sleeves are made of opaque material, the display at theopenings 8 will be as brilliant. as the character of the light source aspro-. .vided by the tubes when the sign is in operation.

It will be notedthat the'sleeves 1 are as long as the tube'sectionslwhich they enclose. Hence, 56

the only portions of the light source in these sections exposed to viewwhen an opaque sleeve is used, will be as afforded by the cut-outopenings. The exposed portions of the tubing beyond the sleeves will beblackened to render them opaque. With each sleeve carrying thecharacters required it will be unnecessary to shape the tubing toprovide the characters and thus a simpler and less expensive sign may bemade and a more extensive message display is rendered possible. The sameis true with respect to translucent sleeves, the only difference beingin the material employed for the sleeves. With sleeves of a translucentcharacter a contrasting color effect can be produced which is not thecase with opaque sleeves.

To apply the sleeves to and remove them from the preformed tube sections3, the sleeves are preferably made from a single blank of sheet materialwhich blank is fashioned into sleeve form with its side edges relativelyclose together to provide what may be termed a slot extending the fulllength of the sleeve. This slot is shown at 9 in Figs. 2 and 2a. Thisconstruction permits the sleeve to be spread open on applying it to andremoving it from the tube section and when the sleeve is on the tubesection it closely hugs or yieldably engages about the same requiring noadditional support for holding the sleeve in place on the tube. Ofcourse, it is within the contemplation of my invention to make thesleeves in one piece in which case they would he slipped endwise on thetubing before shaping the tubing if parallel runs are desired as hereinshown.

In Fig. 3, I have shown an arrangement whereby a symbol or character isdisplayed by the sleeves and which character has a size commensuratewith the whole group of the tube sections. In this figure the tubesections are marked i0, it. They arearranged parallel and preferably inthe same plane. They may be made from a single length of tubing or theymay be composed of several lengths of tubing in which case each tubelength would take in the particular part of the tube group with respectto which it is associated.

In any case, the sections II) are between the terminal ends of thetubing the same as in Fig. 1. The masking sleeves in Fig. 3 are markedII, II. These sleeves are similar to the sleeves 1 heretofore describedexcept as to the light emitting openings or areas l2, l2.

The openings or areas I! are preferably uniform in size and shape andeach area preferably takes in the greater portion of half thecircumference of the sleeve. In the embodiment shown, the openings I!are rectangular in shape and provide by their registrationandarrangement in the sleeve group the single character symbol to bedisplayed. In Fig. 3 the character "E'f is shown. This necessitates theuse of sleeves having openings or apertures 12 disposed to provide a rowof openings for the vertical portion of the character and threelongitudinal rows to provide the horizontal portion of. the character.The intermediate sleeves each have a single opening. These openingsregister with each other and with the initial openings of the rows toprovide the vertical staff of the character.

In Fig. 3, only one end of the tube group is shown. The sleeves Ii willextend from the loops lfla at one end of the tube sections III to theloops at the other end as in Fig. 1. The sleeves will display thecharacters or symbols desired, and have the necessary arrangement ofopenings l2.

Instead of having the tube sections Ill arranged horizontal they couldbe arranged vertical or at any other desired angle. In a vertical orupwardly extending arrangement, the characters would be one above theother in the sign form of Fig. 1. For discharge tube signs which give acold light, the masking sleeves may be made of metallic or non-metallicmaterials. I find that the relatively light, flexible Bakelite materialis satisfactory for the sleeves for these signs. In signs employingfilament tubes with electric terminals at the'opposite ends, I will usea. heat resistant material for the masking sleeves. The loop ends andall exposed portions of the tube sections beyond the masking sleeves inFig. 3 will be blackened to block-out the illumination where not needed.

The light emittingareas, whether in the form of individual characters orportions of a character, may be of the size desired, within of course,the limits of the masking sleeves. In Fig. 1 for example, the openings 8are arranged on the front sides of the sleeves. The openings could be onboth sides for a two-way display or they could extend beneath thesleeves for a display of that The details of construction andarrangement of parts shown and described may-be variously changed andmodified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention,except as pointed out in the annexed claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, an electric light source in the form of a length oftranslucent tubin'g having electric terminals in spaced relationshipwith respect to the tube length, and a masking element in the form of asleeve enclosing a portion of the tubing between said terminals, saidsleeve having light emitting areas shaped to provide a message displayfor the tubing.

2. In combination, an electric light source in the form of a. length oftranslucent tubing having electric terminals in spaced relationship withrespect to the tube length, and a masking element in the form of asleeve fitting about a portion of the tubing between said terminals,said sleeve having light emitting cut-out openings. in the form ofindividual symbols or characters for the message display for the tubing.

,3. In combination, an electric light source in the form of a length oftranslucent tubing having electric terminals in spaced relationship withrespect to the tube length, and a masking element in the form of asleeve fitting about a portion of the tubing between said terminals,said sleeve having light emitting areas to display the message to beilluminated by thetubing, said sleeve being slotted longitudinally andconstituted of resilient material for lateral application to andremovable from thetubing.

4. In combination, an electric light source in the form of a luminescentgas illled discharge tube having electrodes in spaced relationship inrespect to the tube length, and a masking element in the form of asleeve. fitting about a portion of the tube between said electrodes,said sleeve being formed of masking material. and having stencil.- likecut-out openings in the form of individual symbols or characters to beilluminated by the tube.

5. A sign comprising, an electric light source of the luminescent gasfilled discharge tube type having a plurality of spaced tube sections,and masking elements in the form of sleeves fittin about and extendingalong. the respective tube sections, said sleeves having light emittingareas disposed longitudinally of the sleeves and formed having aplurality of substantially parallel tube sections, and masking elementsin the form 01 sleeves fitting about and extending along the' paralleltube sections, said sleeves being made of masking material and providedwith light emitting openings in the shape of individual characters orsymbols for the message to be displayed by the sigh.

7. A sign comprising, an electric light source of the luminescent gasfilled discharge tube type having a plurality of substantially paralleltube sections, and masking elements in the form of sleeves fitting aboutand extending along the several parallel tube sections, said sleevesbeing made of masking material and having light emitting areas therein,said areas providing a symbol or character to be displayed by the signand each area being individual with respect to the other areas andforming a Portion of said sign character.

8. A sign comprising, an electric light source of the luminescent gasfllled discharge tube type having a plurality of substantially paralleltube sections, and masking elements in the formof sleeves fitting aboutand extending along said tube sections, said sleeves being made ofopaque material and having light emitting openings therein, saidopenings providing a symbol or character to be displayed by the sign,and each opening being individual with respect to the other openings andforming a portion of the sign character, said tube sections beingclosely spaced to provide continuity for the sign character formed bythe openings.

ELMER R. NICKEL.

